Re your article on theatre prices (Price of West End theatre tickets can be ludicrous, says David Tennant, 9 August), I have been a theatregoer all my life despite being of very modest means. When young, it was a queuing stool outside to buy a seat in the “gods”. My husband was a stagehand at the Royal Opera House in London, so occasionally there were free seats. Now, aged 83, with considerable hearing loss, I have to sit near the stage. But help is at hand because most theatres will give you “access” tickets at a very reduced price.
The National Theatre has brilliant equipment for all sorts of disabilities. Theatre for me has been a joy and an education, which should be available for all. Surely, touts who offer tickets at an inflated price could be stopped. Also, the government should recognise the invaluable power of the theatre to enrich our lives and boost the economy.
Jude McGowan
London
• While the price of theatre tickets can be a problem, there might be some justification given the need to maintain theatres, pay actors, creatives and theatre support staff, services, etc. But there can be no excuse for the staggering costs of confectionery and drinks. Last week, at a performance of Dr Semmelweis featuring Mark Rylance at the Harold Pinter theatre, a glass of rosé was £18.
Rory Murphy
London
• Theatre prices in the West End of London aren’t typical: it’s like quoting house prices in central London rather than the UK average. It is possible to see good theatre much more cheaply across the country. The Mikron Theatre Company tours professional shows to non-theatre venues by canal, river and road. You won’t see current stars, but you may see a future one. Quite some time ago we saw Mark Williams, who now stars as Father Brown on TV.
Ian Wells
Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
